diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
index 96b90b8f46..e30be784ca 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@
 
 AnimSkeleton::AnimSkeleton(const std::vector<FBXJoint>& joints) {
     _joints = joints;
+
+    // build a cache of bind poses
+    _bindPoses.reserve(joints.size());
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < joints.size(); i++) {
+        _bindPoses.push_back(AnimPose(extractScale(_joints[i].bindTransform),
+                                      glm::quat_cast(_joints[i].bindTransform),
+                                      extractTranslation(_joints[i].bindTransform)));
+    }
 }
 
 int AnimSkeleton::nameToJointIndex(const QString& jointName) const {
@@ -28,11 +36,7 @@ int AnimSkeleton::getNumJoints() const {
 }
 
 AnimPose AnimSkeleton::getBindPose(int jointIndex) const {
-    // TODO: perhaps cache these, it's expensive to de-compose the matrix
-    // on every call.
-    return AnimPose(extractScale(_joints[jointIndex].bindTransform),
-                    glm::quat_cast(_joints[jointIndex].bindTransform),
-                    extractTranslation(_joints[jointIndex].bindTransform));
+    return _bindPoses[jointIndex];
 }
 
 int AnimSkeleton::getParentIndex(int jointIndex) const {
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
index 0b50e60b65..7afc419e6b 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     std::vector<FBXJoint> _joints;
+    std::vector<AnimPose> _bindPoses;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/AnimDebugDraw.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/AnimDebugDraw.cpp
index 263241ca0e..9439e8314f 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/AnimDebugDraw.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/AnimDebugDraw.cpp
@@ -187,30 +187,36 @@ void AnimDebugDraw::update() {
             for (int i = 0; i < skeleton->getNumJoints(); i++) {
                 AnimPose pose = skeleton->getBindPose(i);
 
-                v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans);
+                glm::vec3 base = xform.transform(pose.trans);
+
+                // x-axis
+                v->pos = base;
                 v->rgba = red;
                 v++;
-                v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans + pose.rot * glm::vec3(pose.scale.x, 0.0f, 0.0f));
+                v->pos = base + pose.rot * glm::vec3(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
                 v->rgba = red;
                 v++;
 
+                // y-axis
                 v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans);
                 v->rgba = green;
                 v++;
-                v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans + pose.rot * glm::vec3(0.0f, pose.scale.y, 0.0f));
+                v->pos = base + pose.rot * glm::vec3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f);
                 v->rgba = green;
                 v++;
 
-                v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans);
+                // z-axis
+                v->pos = base;
                 v->rgba = blue;
                 v++;
-                v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans + pose.rot * glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, pose.scale.z));
+                v->pos = base + pose.rot * glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
                 v->rgba = blue;
                 v++;
 
+                // line to parent.
                 if (skeleton->getParentIndex(i) >= 0) {
                     AnimPose parentPose = skeleton->getBindPose(skeleton->getParentIndex(i));
-                    v->pos = xform.transform(pose.trans);
+                    v->pos = base;
                     v->rgba = gray;
                     v++;
                     v->pos = xform.transform(parentPose.trans);